Post by nisidhe on Apr 12, 2019 18:01:04 GMT -5
Right off the top of my head I went with:
Balor - you knew this was coming. Flexible to booking; a creative streak a mile wide and is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. The man should be on Rock/Austin levels of mainstream appeal here. Vince is stupid for not pushing him more than he is, but not stupid enough to let him go without a fight. If AEW gets Devitt and books/markets him properly, WWE may find itself in a world of trouble.
Ricochet and Black - in tag competition or as singles, these men excite. File them under Balor for creative scope and potential for bringing in the alternative-culture types.
Rusev - If I had only four, I'd go with RuRu who, while definitely checking the boxes as kickass monster heel, also is capable of some comedic work as well as working as a loveable face. His flexibility in that regard gives him the edge.
Joe - would not make the cut if I only had four, but he's great on the mic and can still perform on a level most other guys his size can't.
As for the cuts:
Owens - he can be entertaining and worked as a monster in NXT, but he's gotten lost on the main roster and is surrounded by bigger guys doing somewhat better work.
Zayn - was not really missed while he was away. His return once again as a heel has largely erased all his appeal.
Braun - a big guy, but still somewhat green and has the stink of being unable to get the job (beating Lesnar) done. Joe, at least, has the danger persona to him. Braun's not the best on the mic and doesn't have the in-ring moveset to counteract it.
Elias - I want to like this guy: I really did. The face turn was an opportunity to a) have him work against larger heels (I realize now he was meant to counter a Braun heel turn) and b) have him pull in celebrity types (guitar heroes would be apropos here), but clearly for reasons didn't last. He's been Orndorffed at this point; he's lost a good chunk of his drawing power that way.
Seth - *ducks* He's in danger of being tainted by the same overpush that Roman got. Yes, he's the Universal champion, but there are at least two others who some may see as more deserving and better able to sell that title as a BFD. He's a good enough all-rounder, but those I've kept are stronger in at least one or two areas and none of them are significantly less. If I could keep six, I'd take Seth.
Balor - you knew this was coming. Flexible to booking; a creative streak a mile wide and is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. The man should be on Rock/Austin levels of mainstream appeal here. Vince is stupid for not pushing him more than he is, but not stupid enough to let him go without a fight. If AEW gets Devitt and books/markets him properly, WWE may find itself in a world of trouble.
Ricochet and Black - in tag competition or as singles, these men excite. File them under Balor for creative scope and potential for bringing in the alternative-culture types.
Rusev - If I had only four, I'd go with RuRu who, while definitely checking the boxes as kickass monster heel, also is capable of some comedic work as well as working as a loveable face. His flexibility in that regard gives him the edge.
Joe - would not make the cut if I only had four, but he's great on the mic and can still perform on a level most other guys his size can't.
As for the cuts:
Owens - he can be entertaining and worked as a monster in NXT, but he's gotten lost on the main roster and is surrounded by bigger guys doing somewhat better work.
Zayn - was not really missed while he was away. His return once again as a heel has largely erased all his appeal.
Braun - a big guy, but still somewhat green and has the stink of being unable to get the job (beating Lesnar) done. Joe, at least, has the danger persona to him. Braun's not the best on the mic and doesn't have the in-ring moveset to counteract it.
Elias - I want to like this guy: I really did. The face turn was an opportunity to a) have him work against larger heels (I realize now he was meant to counter a Braun heel turn) and b) have him pull in celebrity types (guitar heroes would be apropos here), but clearly for reasons didn't last. He's been Orndorffed at this point; he's lost a good chunk of his drawing power that way.
Seth - *ducks* He's in danger of being tainted by the same overpush that Roman got. Yes, he's the Universal champion, but there are at least two others who some may see as more deserving and better able to sell that title as a BFD. He's a good enough all-rounder, but those I've kept are stronger in at least one or two areas and none of them are significantly less. If I could keep six, I'd take Seth.